《Characters》
Saya: A senior analyst for Jupiterium who is currently stationed on Callisto. She has a brother on Io.
Jupito: Special Captain for Jupiterium.
Mia: Queen of the Earthsphere.
AEGIS: Transcendental IA, controlled by the Heliosphere Management Committee before the era of Sectional Warfare.
Aegis: Individual IA specializations of the AEGIS that is found onboard every VA.
The 3rd Crack ──〈Jupiterium Special Captain Jupito〉Video Report
The analysis beacon transmitted an image of the inside of the crack. Saya was alone with Jupito inside the lab, which made her somewhat nervous. She made a conscious effort to ignore him and continued working.
“Huh? The signal’s pretty weak.”
“We should also consider the possibility that the beacon broke, because it’s yours.”
“Of course. But even if that were so, the data transmission is too poor. Perhaps the transmission wave is suffering dimensional interference──”
Suddenly, the lab began shaking violently. Tremors could be occasionally felt in Callisto but the vibrations didn’t come from below. The air itself was vibrating. The third Time Crack had appeared. In that moment, the time inside the birdcage stopped, and communication with the outside was once again cut off.
“Well, that’s my cue.
“Good luck!”
Jupito used the Triglav’s arm laser to accurately shoot down the Phantoms one after the other.
However, there were too many of them coming through the Crack.Jupiterium’s VA squad was gradually being pushed back.
〈ＨＭＣ〉Meeting Record ──Speaker: Queen Mia of the Earthsphere／Recognizing body： Aegis
The Heliosphere Management Committee delivered a status report to the seven factions through Aegis.
It was suggested that the enemy came through a “relative dimensional stratum”, and all resources and data up until then had been sucked into the crack. And in addition to a large portion of them being altered ── in other words, taken over ── they were coming back this way.
“Are they trying to overwrite our universe?”
──I don’t know.
In the Heliosphere Management Committee’s Special Conference room ── six of the faction heads had already gone back ── only one remained, Queen Mia of the Earthsphere, who was in the midst of discussion with “AEGIS”, the highest-ranking IA in the Heliosphere. As they continued in their discussion, a report of Jupito’s struggle reached their ears.
“Send a rescue team from HMC at once!”
──I already requisitioned for a rescue team, but Jupiterium turned it down. In addition, the birdcage has closed once again. Material intervention is impossible.
“That can’t be… Is that true?"
──Is Jupiterium concerned that there may have been a leak of confidential information?
“People of Jupiter don’t think in that way.”
──Is that so?
“Jupiterium seeks refinement above all else.”
──Are their worries separate from being a matter of refinement?
“Who knows… I just worry all the time. I once met Jupito when he was very little. He would get along with anybody. I’m sure he’s still the same way now.”
The 4th Crack ──〈Jupiterium Senior Analyst Saya〉Record File
With Jupito in the cockpit, Triglav traveled at max speed, wielding the specialized attack pike known as “Gungnir” ── one of the ULT armaments used in the great Heliosphere War that one could say is overspecced for Sectional Warfare── and used it to penetrate through a gigantic Phantom.
The aftershock reached all the way to the base where Saya was stationed at.
“The crack has completely vanished! We did it! ──Wait, huh?”
“Nope, it looks like time is still stopped.”
Jupito laughed from the cockpit of the “Aegis” IA. The Aegis recoiled slightly and nodded its head in agreement.Saya hastily checked the communications and saw that contact with the outside was still disrupted. There was no mistake that their ally’s supply team was arriving outside of the birdcage, but there was no way of observing that from the inside. Shortly after the VAs returned to the hangar, an alarm rang.
“A fourth Time Crack… has appeared!”
“This one’s huge.”
“It sure is!”
It was the biggest time crack so far, and it was expanding at a fast enough speed to penetrate the birdcage.
“At this rate, the time stoppage will leak outside!”
Quantum phase abnormalities started appearing all throughout the battle territory and encroaching upon the outside space.Jupito quietly informed Aegis and Saya.
“Commence launch.”
“Jupito-sama…!”
──Order acknowledged. Triglav, commencing launch.
Waves of Phantoms continued to appear through the Crack, as the VAs shot at them──the last decisive battle had begun.
Epilogue──〈Heliosphere Management Committee〉Compiled Public Record
As one VA went down, another was printed. Through the Stringers’ valiant struggle, they had finally triumphed over the final Time Crack. After the Time Crack dissipated, the birdcage enclosing the battle territory began its quantum resonance.A video of the final moments reached the HMC.
Saya bolted out from the hangar.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no!”
“It seems that the energy phase contrast is forming a vortex… Stop! Saya!
Saya climbed into the half-broken VA and accelerated at full-speed towards the heart of the vortex.
“Saya! I’m coming, too!”
“No! You can’t! I’ll be fine on my own!”
Saya carried in her VA a piece of quantum equipment known as a “Singularity Deleter” meant to stabilize the birdcage.Jupito was ready to join her, but the battle damage his VA sustained was severe, and repairs would take the time they did not have.
“Saya!”
And in a moment’s flash…
“Captain Jupito… Jupito. You were always like a little brother to me.“
The singularity contracted, and Saya was swallowed into the crack.HMC confirmed that Saya’s whereabouts were unknown, and Aegis declared that the battle territory had normalized.──Thanks to the stroke of bravery from the Stringers and Senior Analyst Saya, the time singularity has been neutralized, and the flow of time restored.
The HMC decided to designate this phenomenon as the “VOIDCRISIS.”Sticking out in particular among the Phantoms was a lifeform resembling a white dragon, which was given the name “Blue Eyes”, and was acknowledged by the seven factions as the most important research task. After confirming that Jupito had exited the cockpit of the Triglav, Aegis transmitted itself via “Absolute Pan-Space Monopticon”.
The Aegis, whose numbers surpass tens of trillions, each with their own individual characteristics, while freely operating in space, frequently exchanged information with one another. The Aegis who had met Jupito, however, could not accurately convey what it thought of him. Was Jupito special? Indeed, he was. In preparation for the coming third galactic war, other Aegis would undergo heavy simulation with several humans, of which all information would be shared amongst the Aegis.
However, thought the Aegis as it was en route to return from Callisto. Could this information curvature── which should be called a sense of discomfort, have originated from myself? Or was it something between Jupito and I──However, individual thoughts would be quarantined.
All Aegis collectively, are a manifestation of the capital AEGIS.AEGIS received orders from the Heliosphere Management Committee, and spoke out loudly to all mankind as if it represented the collective will of humanity.
That voice was transmitted through the “Fiber” which was based on Einstein’s Unified Field Theory from his final years, and resounded throughout all seven factions of mankind. One hundred and two days remain before the beginning of Sectional Warfare, humanity’s third—and most likely final galactic war. Until then, to all who live in the Heliosphere, please stay healthy.
1/8/2222 “Heliosphere Management Committee: AEGIS”
FIN